Breaking: Osborne's expense claims to be investigated by Standards watchdog

Rhoda Klapp

If each MP is to be dobbed in by the chairman of the opposing party in their constituency, there is no limit to where it might end. Could be fun.

Dot Neck

The Labour attack dogs are being unleashed on Osborne in retaliation for saying Brown blocked access to the Public Spending data. Yesterday was Mandelson's hypocrisy about Osborne's 'deliberate untruths' (followed by his totally unbelievable claim that the Post Office climbdown was because of market conditions). Today this, presumably another one tomorrow.

Labour's dirt machine seem to be focussing on him partly out of a visceral hatred and partly because they see him as a soft target that will damage Cameron and the Tories growing advantage on the Economy.

Cogito Dexter

Laurie Burton, the chair of the local Labour Party in Mr Osborne's constituency is apparently behind it.

No bias there then...

http://cogitodexter.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/if-you-cant-beat-em-fling-some-mud-instead/

Jules

Fine, well two can play that game - why don't we get one of our conservative activists to get Lyon to investigate members of the Cabinet - the Telegraph certainly has the material.

And if Lyon does not investigate, then this will reek of political bias.

tenpin

So Osbourne claims he does not have access to a goverment database this week to determine the state of the countries finances. Mandleson accusses him of lying and that he will face trouble at this weeks PMQs (nothing was really mentioned) and now this - you have to wonder.... Labour are probably looking for anything to get them out of the cuts hole Brown has dug them.

Carrie

I hope someone is going to make a complaint about Alistair Darling. Conservatives need to start being as ruthless as Labour.

Kevin R Lohse

I agree with dot. The timing of this has got "Mandy" written all over it.

Cameron Next for the High Jump!

Come one now. It is perfectly reasonable for people to make a complaint. We live in a democracy after all.

I, too, have had third thoughts about Osborne's claim and like Maude's, Like Goves, even like Cameron's I am not at all happy.

One has to think is it right and will the electorate be happy?

IF, as one must hope, Osborne is cleared by the Standards Watchdog he must be very gracious in what could turn out to be a hollow victory.

I still cannot understand Cameron's decision to keep all those in his shadow cabinet who have had their arms, not fingers!, in the expense trough. I am damned sure it will come back and haunt him.

A weak man does what Cameron did.

One that follows Blair's example and apologises for past events.

Section 28 was welcomed by a vast majority of the people in those days. Times have changed But, I believe if there were ever to be a referendum the majority would not want homosexuality to be 'taught' at school.

Weak man Cameron.

Nik KM

According to Ed Balls this would represent a decrease in sleaze, because as the total amount of sleaze has increased this represents a falling ratio of the overall sleaze... (blog passim)

Tiberius

As Rhoda sort of says, there are bound to be lots of MPs who will have similar arrangements to Osborne's.

Labour are trying to deflect attention from their own pathetic existence by keeping a story such as this is in spotlight.

Tim Johnson

I hope that Osborne comes out of this with a clean bill of health, but it appears as though he does have case to answer.

I don't think that Get Out Of Jail Free Cards should be handed out willy-nilly to "friends of Dave".

Lee H

Carrie
Maybe that game has just begun. Darling and Hoon (property magnate) should be next. Just goes to show how petty Mandelson is. Sightings of D McBride in the Hatton area.....

john miller

Oooh Georgie, you byatch..

Good old Mandy. Policies a bit wonky? Losing the political debate? Brown having to admit he's a liar?

Must have a bit of retaliation then...

Cameron should go for the cabinet then - don't try to be above all this, just go for the throat.

What better target is there than the PM who avoids tax, the chancellor who avoids tax and Ed and Evie who avoid tax?

Get stuck in Dave.

Mark

The spirit of McBride lives on at Labour's smear factory. Or perhaps the man himself never went away...Still Mandelson is present. The stink is there. Labour really are desperate.

Chuck Unsworth

When is anyone going to investigate Lyon and his various political connections?

JONNY

There wouldn't be too much to worry about, if Osborne wasn't such a turn-off to voters.
So it could turn out quite lethal.

Irene

Half the Cabinet, including Brown should be reported - Brown has been in a grace & favour home for 12 years but still claimed 2nd home allowance and a constituency home - then transferred ownership of his 2nd home to the wife! Osborne has just made a denial on Sky of any wrong doing.

Stephen

There seems to be to separate issues here.

First the action of the local Labour man will hardly help restore the public's faith in politics or politicians. And if Osborne has no case to answer it might backfire. Second, George Osborne is a liability. This is the second time his judgement has been called into question (remember the yacht). He distracts attention away from the attack on Labour. And if he does have a case to answer he should go.

But I disagree with Carrie however tempting it is to reply in kind. The Conservative tone should be above political infighting. Cameron should focus on the economy, cuts and government debt. He should appear honest and statesmanlike and leave (or appear to leave) the dirty squalid business of muck-raking to Labour. It is time to appear like a principled government in waiting rather than a petty, juvenile, point-scoring political party.

logdon

The hand of Mandy I fear. However, if you read both Politics Home and the Standard the readers up to now aren't buying this shameless politiking.

Despite all the convolutions Brown has form. Sharing the cleaner, house in Sarah's name plus others which at the time I wondered about. Maybe protocal or fear of retribution stayed the Tory attack dogs. That point is now passed. Go for him. And Darling.

dorothy wilson

I would second Carrie's hope that someone will make a complaint about Darling.

tenpin

What about Ed Balls spending tax-payers money at Waitrose for his weekly shop to feed his fat lying face? Can I make a complaint? No? I am just a peasant tax-payer oh well then...nevermind

Anoneumouse

Well, well, well. Time for the Lord Mandelson to destroy the hard disk on his computer!

jeffrey

Oh well, I'm sure he can pay it all back from the trust fund his parents set up for him.

Verity

Cameron Next for The High Jump - Yes. Cameron is a very weak man. He disguises his lack of boldness on any front whatsoever, claiming to be keeping his powder dry. Weak.

DM

The problem for Osborne is that Mandy has got it in for him. Labour are itching to get a Tory scalp.

Tankus

Cameron would be better off without Osborne.
He needs to make a political decision. As nulab showed on its way to power ,have a meal in a restaurant , and do the deed after .

Chris

I think that a reply in kind has to be made. If they dont then I think that people will assume that they are the party of sleaze again and labour has nothing to hide.

I still can't believe Hoon and Darling remain in the Cabinet when Brown called Blears actions unacceptable, and they have done the same.

Labour are clearly going to lie, smear, misrepresent, rehash and mdu sling all the way to the next election. This is part of their 'Let's get the Northern monkeys to hate the tories as they can't understand a reasoned debate' campaign. As a proud Northerner I am offended.

JohnAnt

Why did Brown claim expenses for a 'second property' (in London) in which he did not reside?
Who were its tenants in 2004-06?
Who are the current tenants of its current owner, (Sarah Brown)?
Why does Sarah Macaulay (who married Brown in 200) appear as early as 1996 as a joint employer of the mysterious 'cleaner'?
How was it in pursuit of his parliamentary duties that Brown had an expensive Aga kitchen fitted in his current 'second property' in Scotland?

LJ

Stephen - I agree with your second paragraph.
Balls & Cooper flipped 2 or 3 times but got away with it - nothing new here about Osborne it was all in the Telegraph - the original letter of complaint was sent on the 17th June - why have they announced it today? - they should rise above the muck raking lead by Mandy - the public will see it for what it is.
You have also got Burnham scare mongering about 100,000 cases of swine flu per DAY by August -it reminded me of the 45 minute warning Blair announced about Iraq - the mind boggles!

oldtimer

According to the latest report on Politics Home he discussed his main/second home circumstances beforehand with the man from the Fees Office and acted on his advice. If this is all there is to it, it will be interesting to see what Mr Lyons makes of it.

Carrie

Looks like a complaint has been made about Darling but the Comissioner has decided NOT to investigate!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197100/George-Osborne-questioned-second-home-expense-claims--Darling-escapes-tit-tat-investigation.html

Rhoda Klapp

Report the lot, and let the commissioner sort 'em out.

TGF UKIP

Don't jump to the obvious conclusion that it was Mandy and Labour. Probably 90% of the Tory backbenchers would like to be able to claim credit for this hit. (Don't forget recent quote from a Tory backbencher "Of course we want a debate on economic policy, but we daren't force one otherwise Osborne would just make a bloody fool of himself again.")

Serves the Dave and the Clique absolutely right. They tried to operate one law for themselves and another one entirely for the longstanding backbenchers who they would like to replace with a collection of gay and "ethnic" THX 1138s. Long past the time the Right and the old guard bit this lot in the arse.

But come on somebody make our day - put Maude out to twist in the wind.

2trueblue

The labour party are really pulling out all the stops to distract from the real issues. Mandy must be up all night sorting this out.
Didn't Balls/Cooper flip their properties two or three times? Got off very lightly in the Telegraph... must be well connected.

Edward

People who live in glass houses should think twice before throwing stones.
Even Mandy is suspect when it comes to expenses.

I am no Osborne fan, but if he is to be investigated, why not the rest of them on both sides ?
The show could run and run. And perhaps it should.

What Brown hasn't done over expenses is to be expected. Anyway, he's yesterday's man.
What Cameron hasn't done over expenses could still severely damage him. If a "leader" is supposed to lead by example, can anyone advise me what Cameron HAS done with regard to expenses that would enable him to look the electorate in the eye ?

I, for one, am unimpressed.

TrevorsDen

Come off it tankus (et al) Labour are shit scared of Osborne.

Pardon me but if there is something oh so special about Osborne's expenses (published weeks ago) then why did no one comment at the time?

Brown is exposed to the whole world as a pathological liar and hey presto a laborite tries to smear Osborne??

Paul

It is clear what this is all about, and its just dismal. We all know that politicians on both sides may have questions to answer.

However, what I am learning from this event is that Labour are only dedicated to staying in power, and will stoop to every dirty trick to do so. Running the country properly for the people they serve is not a consideration.

I continue ask who will depose this corrupt tyranny?

John Lea

Paul - and replace it with what? An equally corrupt tyranny in the form of Dave's Blue Labour?

VeritY

TGF UKIP and John Lea - Quite.

The only way to get rid of Dave and his oh-so-precious clique of people who have never had a day's experience in the world that most of us inhabit, is for Labour to win the next election by the skin of its teeth.

After Dave, gets sent back to the back benches (he'll apply for the Chiltern Hundreds; no way will he sit on the back benches again) and we get a Conservative in as Leader, and in 18 months that person will lead the Tories to a stonking victory following a successful vote of No Confidence.

I don't recall having read one comment of committed, passionate support for Cameron. Not one.

Paul

John Lea. This is the same bloody piece of idiocy I see all over the place on the internet. I think this argument is deliberatly deceptive. I have to tell you that conservativism is the same as socialism.

I know what a government of a free land should look like, even if you don't seem to. Camerons conservatives (by what they've said) look more like that archetype than Gordon Brown's Labour.

I am not going to explain this to you. If you can't see it, then I am very sorry for you indeed.

Paul

ooops above post should be conservatism is not the same as socialism

(although, Verity, I do agree that some conservatives are less conservative than others!)

Minnie Ovens

unt of sleaze has increased this represents a falling ratio of the overall sleaze.

No Nik KM, it's an increase in sleaze but it's a ratio decrease because the price of tomatoes went up